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The History of~The United States (Part 10: The 21st Century)
As we left off in our last page (click here) we talked about America's role in the Cold War and how it lasted through those troubling times, and seemed like it has outlasted it's rival in the Soviet Union. But in reality, the 1990's was actually a time of inner turmoil for the USA. It had to deal with terrorism, both foreign and domestic. This is what this page will try to cover, this is the last page for this series about the history of the United States. Gulf War Starting in August of 1990, the Dictator of Iraq named Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait since Kuwait didn't have the money to pay Iraq for something cvalled the Rumaila. Plus, Iraw wanted Kuwait's oil as well. Just 6 days later, the American forces stationed in Saudi Arabia formed what is known as Operation Desert Shield to buld up Kuwait's military to protect them from Iraqi forces. But Iraq continued it's invasion even after warnings and sanctions from the United Nations. It wouldn't be until January of 1991, where the USA began an offensive against Iraq Forces known as Operation Desert Storm where the USA would invade Iraq with their superior Soldier and Tank numbers. Iraq had to withdraw from not just Kuwait, but also Saudi Arabia as well. However, tensions will continue in the Middle East for several years. Domestic Terrorism The USSR finally dissolved on December 26, 1991. For many Americans, who believed to be the end of the Cold War and the USA can finally embrace it's Superpower status alone, this was not the case. The USA would face a series of Anti-Government movements within America. Beginning in April of 1992, near a small town of Naples in the State of Idaho, a man named Randy Weaver and his family and few other people were in a violent standoff against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as US Marshals (something like enforcers for Judges) as he refused to appear in court on charges of weapons. This standoff would last for only 10 days with 5 casualties. But it is said by some as the precursor to other Anti-Government movements by other people. Immediately after the Ruby Ridge siege, a Race Riot broke out in Los Angeles after the Police beat up their suspect named Rodney King. This Riot would last for 6 days. Nearly a year later in the Texas town of Waco, a radical religious group known as the Branch Davidians led by a man named David Koresh were stealing military weapons in the late 1980's, and by the 1990's had a huge arsenal and they even took over a building named the Mount Carmel Center. This made them a target for the Burueau of Alocohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) as well as the FBI and Texas Law enforcement. Because of the superiority of the weaponry of the Branch Davidians, they held out for over a month, until the regular US Military was called in to deal with the situation. On April 19 still in 1993, the Waco Seige was put down with only 10 casualties (including Koresh) Exactly 2 years after the Waco Seige, a disgruntled Gulf War veteran named Timothy McVeigh would set up a bombing of a building called the Alfred P Murrah building in Oklahoma City, where 168 people had died. The former part of the 1990's would be rocked with Anti-Government attacks and movements, but they're nothing to what would follow, especially about terrorism overseas and by foreign people. Foreign Terrorism It began in the year 1993, when a member of a terroist group called Al-Qaeda (led by a man named Osama Bin Laden) tried to blow up the old towers of the World Trade Center with a truck wired with a bomb. Though the plan ultimately failed, but this wouldn't be the last of Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda would also station attacks on American symbols overseas such as the attacks in Somalia, and even a US Embassy. On September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda would trike the US once more, by hijacking 4 Commerical Airplanes on the Eastern Seaboard that are bound for the west. The first 2 crashed into the old WTC while another struck the Pentagon in Washington DC. The 4th crashed into a field ouside Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This attack would lead to the destruction of both towers of the old WTC and kill over 3,000 people. This would also bring international terrorism into the US Media as people wanted revenge for the attacks. In Early 2002, US President George W. Bush would declare war on international terrorism. He would also go to war in Iraq again in 2003 when the tensions there wouldn't ease (and hopes to finish the job his father started). Very much like in Vietnam, the second war in Iraq was poorly portrayed by the US Media, and the US' involvement would last for 8 years. On May 2, 2011 (over 10 years after the WTC attacks) Osama Bin Laden along with some other leaders of Al-Qaeda were all killed when they were founded by a US Navy SEAL team. Epilogue Yes, the United States of America had a very illustrious history eventhough it's one of the world's youngest nations but it had achieved so much in just 300 years (in some cases, that's more than any nation in Europe or Asia, and they existed for thousands of years). But as a nation does, it'll continue to go through troubled times as well as go through some good times. Hopefully, it'll come out just as we remember it. Well, that is going to it for this 10-page series. I really hope you enjoyed them. Don't forget to check out my Games and Movies wikis especially if you like video games and movies. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.